1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved composition for use in water conditioning systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Hard water is a common problem and is caused by the presence of high levels of precipitates such as calcium and magnesium. The ion of these metals can cause numerous issues, including lessening the effectiveness of detergents and causing scale build-up in water lines. Water softeners (or water conditioners, used interchangeably herein) have commonly been used to treat hard water. In general, a water softener is a mechanical appliance that includes a resin tank filled with a bed of beads made of an ion exchange medium (e.g., resin) and a brine tank that holds a salt solution. Conventional water softeners use a single salt (e.g., sodium chloride or potassium chloride) and rely on an ion exchange process, whereby the calcium and magnesium hardness ions in the water are replaced with the metal ions of the salt.
To soften the water, the ion exchange material is first charged with a brine solution. The term brine as used herein refers to a saturated or substantially saturated aqueous solution (i.e., at least 100,000 ppm of a salt). Then, as hard water passes through the resin bed, positively charged calcium and magnesium ions in the water are attracted to the ion exchange resin, replacing the metal ions of the salt previously attached to the active sites on the resin beads. As the number of active sites on the resin beads decreases (i.e., as more and more calcium and magnesium ions are attracted) the effectiveness of the resin bed is lessened.
At some point, the resin bed needs to be “regenerated” or “recharged” to release the calcium and magnesium minerals from the ion exchange material and replace them with other ions. Such water softeners typically use a sodium chloride brine to recharge the resin bed. Dry sodium chloride is added to the brine tank. The bottom portion of the tank contains a brine solution, but the sodium chloride will fill the tank above the level of the solution. The brine solution is passed through the resin beads and sodium ions are added to the active sites of the resin beads, to be displaced by calcium or magnesium ions during the water softening process. One problem with this system is that water tends to “wick up” the product and leads to mushing of some sodium chloride products. Mushing results when the salts softens and dissolves into granules or particles due to exposure to the aqueous environment of a water softener.
Potassium chloride can also be used in the brine tank instead of sodium chloride, with the resulting use of potassium ions at the active sites on the resin beads. One advantage of using potassium chloride is that sodium ions are avoided, which is preferable for people on a sodium-restricted diet. However, one drawback to using potassium chloride in the brine tank is the increased cost over sodium chloride. In addition, there is usually recrystallization of some of the potassium chloride in the brine tank. Wicking, mushing, and recrystallization all decrease the effectiveness of the salt and negatively impact regeneration of the ion exchange material.
There is a need for improved salt products that avoid problems of prior art salt products.